Ep. 025 – Carthage: A New (City) Hope

This week we follow the fleeing Elissa, princess of Tyre, to Qart-ḥadašt, the "New City" that would come into wider fame as Carthage. We start with some talk of the mythical founding of Carthage, some conjecture about when the city was really founded, and an overview of the city's early growth. Then, we look at two Phoenician shipwrecks discovered over 33 nautical miles off Asheklon, Israel. The Tanit and Elissa are two of the oldest Phoenician shipwrecks discovered to date, and then can tell us a fair amount about Phoenician shipping practices, also about their religious practices in relation to maritime travel. Another long episode with the Phoenicians it is!

A photomosaic of the 8th century BCE Phoenician shipwreck dubbed “Elissa.”

A photomosaic of the 8th century BCE Phoenician shipwreck dubbed “Tanit.”

The Egyptian depiction of a Syro-Canaanite ship with a sailor making an offering to a Phoenician protective deity.

The incense stand and offering cup being held by the Canaanite sailor, the same offering items as were found in the ‘Elissa’ shipwreck.

The full ship depiction from the Egyptian tomb of Ken-Amun.

Literature and History!

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Sources

Abulafia, David, The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean (2013).

Aubet, Maria Eugenia, The Phoenicians and the West: Politics, Colonies and Trade (2001).

4 comments for “Ep. 025 – Carthage: A New (City) Hope”

Thanks, Doug! I’ve listened to a few of your episodes more than once too, I may go back through all 25 of yours as a ‘quarter-century’ remembrance too! haha… But definitely listening to ‘Lyrical Ballistics’ tomorrow at the least to help get me through Friday at the office 🙂

Hi Eugene. Glad you enjoyed the episode! The podcast I mentioned is called ‘Literature and History’. I think you’ll really enjoy it! Here’s a link to the main website where you can find all the important info and links: http://literatureandhistory.com.